Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack
11K games from Lichess · Updated January 2026
White expected score · All ratings · All speeds
62.2%
the worst score you would still get, 90% confident. At best 63.0%.
Measured over 11K games at this level and clock.
A strong choice for White at this level and clock.
Outcomes for White
Draw 3.6 · Score = win + ½ of the draws · 11K games
- Rank among the families White can choose here
- not ranked — this is a variation, not a family
- Games in this context
- 11K
- Best context
- 65.9% at 2500+ Bullet
- Worst context
- 60.2% at 2200-2499 Blitz
- Average game length
- 30 moves
- Games that end decisively
- 96.4%
- Draws
- 3.6%
Best and worst are the strongest and weakest squares with at least 500 games behind them. The table further down shows every square, including thinner ones.
Where it holds · White score by rating × clock
Green is clearly ahead for White, grey is around even, red is behind. Tap a cell to measure there, and again to clear. It gets better as the rating rises: 43.4% at 1000-1199, 54.6% at 2500+.
| Rating | UB | Bulle | Blitz | Rapid | Class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 0-999 | — | — | — | — | — |
| 1000-1199 | — | — | — | ||
| 1200-1399 | — | — | — | ||
| 1400-1599 | — | ||||
| 1600-1799 | — | — | |||
| 1800-1999 | — | ||||
| 2000-2199 | — | ||||
| 2200-2499 | — | — | |||
| 2500+ | — | — |
Expected score matrix by rating bracket and time control
- 1000-1199 rating, Bullet: 16.7% expected score (3 games)
- 1000-1199 rating, Blitz: 70.0% expected score (1 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Bullet: 23.4% expected score (6 games)
- 1200-1399 rating, Blitz: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Bullet: 70.5% expected score (18 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Blitz: 50.0% expected score (29 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Rapid: 67.4% expected score (10 games)
- 1400-1599 rating, Classical: 64.3% expected score (2 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Bullet: 63.7% expected score (170 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Blitz: 60.1% expected score (192 games)
- 1600-1799 rating, Rapid: 64.3% expected score (37 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Bullet: 59.6% expected score (469 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Blitz: 63.4% expected score (1,145 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Rapid: 63.0% expected score (95 games)
- 1800-1999 rating, Classical: 68.2% expected score (4 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Bullet: 62.5% expected score (869 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Blitz: 62.2% expected score (2,466 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Rapid: 66.8% expected score (248 games)
- 2000-2199 rating, Classical: 63.4% expected score (6 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Bullet: 65.7% expected score (1,279 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Blitz: 60.2% expected score (2,742 games)
- 2200-2499 rating, Rapid: 56.3% expected score (189 games)
- 2500+ rating, Bullet: 65.9% expected score (557 games)
- 2500+ rating, Blitz: 59.6% expected score (260 games)
- 2500+ rating, Rapid: 38.3% expected score (7 games)
Related Openings
Methodology
Across every rating and clock, the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack scores 62.2% for White — we are 90% confident the real figure is between 61.5% and 63.0% — from 11K Lichess games. Win rate, draw rate and loss rate come from games played December 2023 to November 2025.
How the figures are made
- Whose games these are
- 11K+ rated games played on Lichess (2023-12 to 2025-11). The games are Lichess’s and free for anyone to use. What is ours is the reading of them. Last rebuilt January 2026.
- Which games we count
- Rated games only — nothing casual.
- Both players within 200 rating points of each other. A mismatch tells you about the gap, not about the opening.
- At least 2 moves played.
- A game is filed under White’s rating.
- Why every number comes with a range
- A number off a few hundred games is a guess. The same number off millions is a fact. The range is what tells them apart, and it is what the lists rank on — so an opening cannot reach the top on a lucky run of forty games. The more games behind a figure, the narrower its range.
- How much we need before we say anything
- An opening page needs 100 games. A gambit needs 50 games at a rating before we will say whether it pays there. The chaos and trap lists need 500 games overall and 250 games at one rating or clock.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate?
Playing the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack, White wins 60.4%, draws 3.6% and loses 36.0%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.2%. It rests on 11K rated games from Lichess.
At what rating does the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack perform best?
The Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack performs best for White at 2000-2199, with an Expected Score of 62.6% (3.6K games) and the highest Floor of any rating with enough games to read.
Is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack better in blitz or rapid?
For White, the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack scores higher in Rapid: an Expected Score of 61.4% in Blitz (6.8K games) against 62.5% in Rapid (586 games).
How sharp is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack?
The Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack has a sharpness score of 96.4 (very decisive), meaning 96.4% of games end decisively. Average game length is 30 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 1600-1799?
At 1600-1799, White wins 60.5%, draws 3.1% and loses 36.3%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.1%. It rests on 399 Lichess games, which average 24 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 1800-1999?
At 1800-1999, White wins 61.2%, draws 2.4% and loses 36.5%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.4%. It rests on 1.7K Lichess games, which average 26 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 2000-2199?
At 2000-2199, White wins 61.0%, draws 3.2% and loses 35.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.6%. It rests on 3.6K Lichess games, which average 29 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 2200-2499?
At 2200-2499, White wins 59.6%, draws 4.3% and loses 36.2%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.7%. It rests on 4.2K Lichess games, which average 32 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate at 2500+?
At 2500+, White wins 61.4%, draws 4.5% and loses 34.1%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.7%. It rests on 824 Lichess games, which average 35 moves.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate in Bullet?
In Bullet, White wins 62.6%, draws 2.4% and loses 34.9%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 63.9%. It rests on 3.4K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate in Blitz?
In Blitz, White wins 59.3%, draws 4.1% and loses 36.6%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 61.4%. It rests on 6.8K Lichess games.
What is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack win rate in Rapid?
In Rapid, White wins 60.7%, draws 3.5% and loses 35.8%. Counting a draw as half a point, that is an Expected Score of 62.5%. It rests on 586 Lichess games.
Is the Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack a good opening?
The Benko Gambit: Zaitsev Variation, Nescafe Frappe Attack is good for White. Across all ratings, White wins 60.4% of its games and loses 36.0%. It performs best at 2000-2199. Your results depend on your rating, time control, and how well you know the typical plans.